Reverse gear unit



Dec. 10, 1935. P A Y 2,023,585

REVERSE GEAR UNIT Original Filed Jan. 5, 1931 Patented Dec. 10, 1935 UNTED STATES REVERSE GEAR UNIT Paul D. Harvey, Chicago, 111.

Claims.

This application is a division of my application Serial No. 506,774, filed January 5, 1931.

This invention relates to reduction and reverse gear units of the kind particularly adapted for 5 use in marine craft, such as motor boats, motor launches and the like that are propelled by internal combustion engines or similar motive power.

It has been the custom to provide low speed motive units in motor boats, motor launches and the like because high speed motive units drive the propellers or screws at excessively high speeds which are objectionable. The high speed, highly eificient internal combustion engines developed in the automotive art might be used advantageously in marine craft, because of their increased economy, but the speed of such an engine would need be reduced so that the propeller or screw of the craft in which it was used would not be driven at an excessive rate of speed, and one of the objects of this invention is to provide a novel speed reducing unit particularly adapted for marine craft to enable the use of a high speed engine therein.

It is often desirable to reverse the direction of rotation of the screw of a marine craft as, for example, when it is desired to stop the craft quickly. Moreover, reversibility also facilitates maneuvering of the craft. The pitch of a propeller or screw is customarily arranged for rotation in a forward direction and is not as enicient when operated in a reverse direction. It is therefore desirable to provide an efficient drive for operating a screw in a reverse direction. In View of the foregoing it is another object of my invention to provide a novel speed reducing unit which will afford eficient rotation in a reverse direction.

A further object is to provide a neutral position in a marine reduction and reverse gear unit so that the motive power may be disconnected from the propeller or screw.

Further objects are to provide a unit of the above described character wherein the various shafts are solidly journaled so that the unit will effectively resist wear and the life thereof will be prolonged and to maintain the various parts in proper relation to each other.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a marine reduction and reverse gear mechanism in a single unit of economical manufacture and simple construction and which will be compactly arranged.

A selected embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein Fig. l is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of a marine reduction and reverse gear unit embodying my invention; 5

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional detail view taken substantially on the line 2-2 on Fig. l and in which certain parts are broken away; and

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional detail view taken substantially on the line 33 on Fig. 1.

In the embodiment of my invention illustrated in the accompanying drawing, it indicates a casing in which the main drive shaft 15 is journaled. The shaft extends beyond the forward end of the casing to be connected to a suitable clutch structure or other source of power. The shaft 15 is journaled in an anti-friction bearing 76 mounted in a flanged opening ll in the front Wall 78 of the casing 143 and this shaft also passes through the inner race "is of an anti-friction bearing 80 carried by the bracket Si in the easing. The rear wall 82 of the casing it includes a sleeve 83 in which an anti-friction bearing 8 is mounted. The hub 85 of an internal gear 88 is journaled in the anti-friction bearing 84. The hub 85 extends beyond the bearing 8d and mounted thereon is the hub 81 of the flange coupling or power take-ofi device 88. A bearing retainer 89 is secured to the free end of the sleeve 33 and carries suitable packing glands which ride on the hub 81 and seal the housing it against leakage.

A spur gear 96 is rotatably mounted on 11110 shaft 15 between the bracket 8! and the rear wall 82. A plurality of spaced apart lugs or 35 teeth 9! having pockets therebetween are provided on the face of the spur gear 96 disposed toward the race l9 and provide clutch members. Splines 92 are provided in the shaft 75 and extend through the race it. Clutch teeth 94 are movable through the keyways 93 in the inner race outwardly of and aligned with the keyways between the splines 92. The clutch teeth 534 are carried by a collar to slidably mounted on the splined portion 95 of the shaft 75. When the collar 95 is moved along the splined portion 9 3, the clutch teeth 96 pass through the keyways 93 and the forward ends of these clutch teeth pass into the pockets between the lugs 95 to thereby connect the gear 95 to the shaft 15. The gear Fit constantly meshes with the internal gear 86 and therefore when the gear 99 is connected to drive shaft l5 power is transmitted from the shaft 15 through the gear 9! to the internal gear 86 and therefore the hub 85 and the power take-off device 88 which is thereupon rotated in one direction.

The collar 95 is moved along the splined portion 96 by operation of a lever I99 that is pivotally mounted on the casing M at I9! and which is connected to an arm I92 that is pivotally connected at I93 to'a bearing 93 slidable on a rod 99 extended between the bracket GI and the front wall 18. The bearing 98 carries a yoke 96' which rides in a groove 9I in the collar 95. Thus by pivoting the handle I99 about the pivotal' mounting I9I thereof the bearing 99 may he slid along the rod 99 to thereby move the clutch teeth 94 to and from engagement with the pocketsbetween the lugs 9|.

A gear I94 surrounds the collar 95 and is suitably connected thereto as by means of an overrunning clutch. Such an arrangement is shown in Fig. 2 wherein three tapered recesses are provided in the periphery of the collar 95 and rollers I4I of graduated size are mounted in these tapered recesses. Blocks I46 acted on by springs I45 are provided at the larger ends of the recesses and urge the rollers I4! toward the smaller ends of the recesses and when the rollers are in these fast on the countershaft I95 journaled in bear ings I9! and I98 respectively provided in the front wall I8 and the bracket 8|. The shaft I06 extends beyond the bearing I98 and a gear I99 is fast thereon which meshes with the internal gear 86.

When the lever I99 is operated to'retract the keys 94 from the pockets between the lugs 9I, the gear 99 is disconnected from thershaft I5 when the keys 94 are disengaged from these pockets and at this time the drive shaft I5 is disconnected from the power take-off device 88. However, further movement of the lever I99 in the direction which so disengages the keysv 94 causes the gear I94 to mesh with the pinion I95 and therefore rotation of the drive shaft 15 is transmitted through the gear I94 to the pinion I95 and through the shaft I95 to the gear I99 and the internal gear 85 whereupon the hub 85 and the power take-off device 98 are rotated in the direction opposite to that in which these parts are rotated when the drive shaft I5 is connected to the gear 90. Therefore, meshing 'of the gear I04 with the pinion I05 affords an eflicient reverse and the efiiciency of this arrangement is increased by reason of the gear reduction afforded by the ratio of the gears in the gear train through which the'rotation is transmitted.

It is therefore manifest that the unitnot only provides a reversing arrangement but also a speed reversing arrangement. Furthermore the structure is compact and affords a neutral position, that is to say, when the lever I99 is manipulated to disengage the gear I94 from the pinion I95, and prior to the time the keys 94 engage in the pockets 9| the drive shaft I5 is disconnected from the power take-off device 89.

I wish it to beunderstood that I do not desire to be limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, for obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. In a marine reduction and reverse gear unit, a casing, an internal gear having a hub thereon journaled in said casing, said hub having power take-off means thereon externally of said casing, a drive shaft journaled in said casing, a pinion rotatably mounted on said drive shaft and meshed with said internal gear, a gear slidably and non-rotatably mounted on said drive shaft and having connecting'means thereon for connecting the pinion on said drive shaft to said drive shaft, a countershaft journaled in said casing, a gear fast on said countershaft and meshed with said internal gear, a pinion fast on said countershaft and adapted to be meshed with the gear on said drive shaft, and means for sliding the gear on said drive shaft along said drive shaft to arrange the connecting means thereon to connect the pinion on said drive shaft to said drive shaft or to mesh the gear on the drive shaft with the pinion on the countershaft, said internal gear being driven in one direction when the pinion on the drive shaft is connected to the drive shaft and being driven in the other direc-- tion when the gear on the drive shaft is meshed with the pinion on the countershaft.

2. In a marine reduction and reverse gear unit, a casing, an internal gear at one end of said casing and journaled in one wall thereof and including a part providing a power take-01f means located externally of said casing, a bracket in said casing, a drive shaft journaled in the other end of said casing and said bracket, a pinion rotatably mounted on said drive shaft adjacent said bracket and meshed with said internal gear, a gear slidably and non-rotatably mounted on said drive shaft and having means for'connecting the pinion to the drive shaft, a countershaft journaled in said other end of said casing and said bracket, a gear fast on said countershaft adjacent said bracket and meshed with said internal gear, a pinion fast on said countershaft and adapted to be'meshed with the gear on said 45 drive shaft, and means slidably mounted in said casing and connected to the gear on saiddrive shaft for moving said gear along said drive shaft to connect the pinion on the drive shaft to the drive shaft or to mesh the gear on the drive shaft with the pinion on the countershaft, said internal gear being driven in one direction when the pinion on the drive shaft is connected to the drive shaft and being, driven in the other direction when the gear on the drive shaft is meshed with the pinion on the countershaft.

3. In a marine reduction and reverse gear unit, a casing, an internal gear at one end of said casing and journaled in one wall thereof and including a partproviding a power take-off means located externally of said casing, a bracket in said casing, a drive shaft journaled in the other end of said casing and said bracket, a pinion rotatably mounted on said drive shaftadjacent said bracket and meshed with said internal gear, a gear slidably and non-rotatably mounted on said drive shaft and having means for connecting the pinion to the drive shaft, a countershaft journaled in said other end of said casing and-said bracket, a gear fast on said countershaft adjacent said bracket and meshed with said internal gear, a pinion fast on said countershaft and adapted to be meshed with the gear on said drive shaft, a rod j ournaled in said casing, a bear- 'ing slidable on said rod and carrying a yoke mounted in a groove in the gear on the drive shaft, and means for sliding said bearing along said rod to slide said gear along said drive shaft to connect the pinion on said drive shaft to said drive shaft or to mesh the gear on said drive shaft with the pinion on the countershaft, said internal gear being driven in one direction when the pinion on the drive shaft is connected to the drive shaft and being driven in the other direction when the gear on the drive shaft is meshed with the pinion on the countershaft.

4. In a marine reduction and reverse gear unit, a casing, an internal gear having a hub thereon journaled in said casing, said hub having power take-01f means thereon externally of said casing, a bracket in said casing, a drive shaft journaled in said casing and said bracket, a pinion rotatably mounted on said drive shaft adjacent said bracket and meshed with said internal gear, said pinion having lugs on the face thereof disposed toward said bracket providing pockets therebetween, a gear slidably and non-rotatably mounted onsaid drive shaft, means on said drive shaft intermediate said gear and said pinion having axially extending openings therein, clutch teeth on said gear aligned with said axially extending openings to be movable therethrough to seat in the pockets on said pinion to thereby connect said pinion to said drive shaft, a countershaft journaled in said casing and said bracket, a gear fast on said countershaft adjacent said bracket and meshed with said internal gear, a pinion fast on said countershaft and adapted to be meshed with the gear on said drive shaft, means for sliding the gear on the drive shaft along said drive shaft to engage the clutch teeth in the pockets to connect the pinion on the drive shaft to the drive shaft or to mesh the gear on the drive shaft with the pinion on the countershaft or to mesh the gear on the drive shaft with the pinion on the countershaft, said internal gear being driven in one direction when the pinion on the drive shaft is connected tothe drive shaft and being driven in the other direction when the gear on the drive shaft is meshed with the pinion on the countershaft.

5. In a marine reduction and reverse gear unit, 5 a drive shaft, journals for said drive shaft, a pinion rotatably mounted on said drive shaft outwardly of one of said journals and having pockets in the side thereof adjacent said journal, 2. part on said shaft in one of said journals and having openings therein, a collar slidably and non-rotatably mounted on said drive shaft and including portions movable through said openings and engageable in the pockets in said pinion to connect said pinion to said drive shaft, a gear disposed about said collar and connected thereto, an internal gear meshed with the pinion on said drive shaft, a countershaft, journals for said countershaft, a pinion on said countershaft engageable with the gear connected to said collar, a gear on said countershaft meshed with said internal gear, and means for sliding said collar along said drive shaft to seat the portions thereon in the pockets in the pinion on the drive shaft to connect the pinion to the drive shaft or to mesh the gear connected to said collar with the pinion on the countershaft and thereby drive the countershaft or into a neutral position wherein the portions on said collar are disengaged from said pockets and the gear connected to said collar is out of mesh with the pinion on said countershaft, said internal gear being driven in one direction when the pinion on the drive shaft is connected to the drive shaft and in the other direction When the gear connected to the collar is meshed with the pinion on the countershaft, the internal gear not being driven when the portions on the collar are unseated from the pockets in the pinion on the drive shaft and when the gear connected to the collar is not meshed with the pinion on the countershaft.

PAUL D. HARVEY. 

